Belly dance is a Western term for traditional Arab dance styles, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes called "Middle Eastern Dance" or "Arabic Dance" in the United States, or by the Greek term çiftetelli ( τσιφτετέλι ). Belly dance is a misnomer as all parts of the body are involved in the dance, the most featured body part in raqs sharqi being the hips. Belly dance takes many different forms depending on country and region, both in costume and dance style, and new styles have been invented in the West as its popularity has spread worldwide.
Raqs sharqi (Arabic: رقص شرقي ; literally "oriental dance") is the style more familiar to Westerners, performed in restaurants and cabarets around the world. It is more commonly performed by female dancers but is also sometimes danced by men. Raqs sharqi is a solo improvisational dance, although students often perform choreographed dances in a group.
Raqs baladi , (Arabic: رقص بلدي ; literally "dance of country", or "folk" dance) is the folkloric style, danced socially by men and women of all ages in some Middle Eastern countries, usually at festive occasions such as weddings.
Origins and Early History
As with any dance of folkloric origin, the roots of belly dance are uncertain. The authenticity of even "traditional" or "classical" forms of belly dance are open to question and often hotly disputed.
One theory is that belly dance was originally danced by women for women, to demonstrate or ease childbirth. This theory is very popular in Western dance schools, because it helps counteract negative sexual stereotyping - however, there is no written evidence to support it. The book Dancer of Shamahka is widely cited but it is, in fact, a romanticized memoir written by a modern author,Armen Ohanian(published 1918). In Middle Eastern society, two specific belly dance movements have been used in childbirth for generations - but that is far from being the whole dance.
Another theory is that belly dancing originated in Northern Africa and was spread by Caravans to other parts of the Middle East. This theory arises from the similarity of dance movements from the Sudan region - however, widespread similarities can also be seen in folkloric dances stretching from India to Spain.
A third theory claims belly dancing originated in Ancient Babylon, introduced by Adnanite Arabs. In pre-Islamic times, women danced at social gatherings, while the men played drums. After the introduction of Islam, only non-Muslim slave girls were permitted to dance. During the Ummayad and the Abbasid dynasties, belly dancing was commercially promoted.
While these theories may have some foundation, none of them can be proved to be the origin of belly dance. It is more likely that all these factors contributed to the development of belly dance as we know it today .
The first recorded Western encounter with belly dance is during Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798, when his troops encountered the gypsy dancers of the Ghawazee, and the more refined dancing of the Almeh.
Belly dance was later popularized during the Romantic movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, when Orientalist artists depicted romanticized images of harem life in the Ottoman Empire. Around this time, dancers from Middle Eastern countries began to perform at various World Fairs, often drawing crowds that rivaled the technology exhibits.
Several dancers, including the French author Colette engaged in "oriental" dancing, sometimes passing off their own interpretations as authentic. There was also the pseudo-Javanese dancer Mata Hari, convicted in 1917 by the French for being a German spy.
History in the United States
The term "belly dancing" is generally credited to Sol Bloom, entertainment director of the 1893 World's Fair, the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, although there is no evidence he ever called it that, and newspapers of the time consistently used the French term "danse du ventre". In his memoirs, Bloom states only that "when the public learned...danse du ventre" "belly dance...I had a gold mine."
Although there were dancers of this type at the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia, it was not until the Chicago fair that it gained national attention. There were authentic dancers from several Middle Eastern and North African countries, including Syria, Turkey and Algeria, but it was the dancers in the Egyptian Theater of The Street in the Cairo exhibit who gained the most notoriety. The fact that the dancers were uncorseted and gyrated their hips, shocked Victorian sensibilities. There were no soloists but the best known was Farida Mazar Spyropoulos. It is claimed that a dancer nicknamed Little Egypt, stole the show but whether she was Farida (or whether she even existed) is disputed.
Their popularity subsequently spawned dozens of imitators, many of whom claimed to be from the original troupe. Victorian society continued to be affronted by the "shocking" dance, and dancers were sometimes arrested and fined. The dance was nicknamed the "Hootchy-Kootchy" or "Hoochee-Coochie", or the shimmy and shake. A short film, "Fatima's Dance," was widely distributed in the nickelodeon (movie theater)s. It drew criticism for its "immodest" dancing, and was eventually censored. The dance drew men in droves to burlesque, carnival and circus lots.
Thomas Edison made several films of dancers in the 1890s. These included a Turkish dance, and Crissie Sheridan in 1897, and Princess Rajah from 1904, which features a dancer playing zills , doing "floor work", and balancing a chair in her teeth.
Ruth St. Denis also used Middle Eastern-inspired dance in D.W. Griffith's silent masterpiece Intolerance (film), but her approach was different, her goal being to lift dance to a respectable art form (at the time,dancers were considered women of loose morals). Hollywood began producing films such as The Sheik (film), Cleopatra (1917 film), and Salomé (1923 film), to capitalize on Western fantasies of the orient.
When immigrants from Arab States began to arrive in New York in the 1930s, dancers started to perform in nightclubs and restaurants. Some of today's most accomplished performers are their descendants, e.g. Anahid Sofian, Aisha Ali, and Artemis Mourat.
In the late 1960s and early '70s many dancers began teaching. Middle Eastern or Eastern bands took dancers with them on tour, which helped spark interest in the dance.
Although using traditional Turkish and Egyptian movements, American Cabaret or American Restaurant belly dancing has developed its own distinctive style, using props and encouraging audience interaction. Many modern practitioners make use of the music of Egyptian Sha'abi singers including Ahmed Adaweya, Hakim, and Saad el Soghayar, in their routines which combine the percussion of modern Egyptian music with a traditional feeling for music and dance in the Raks Sha'abi (dance of the people) style.
Many forms of "Tribal Fusion" belly dance have also developed, incorporating elements from many other dance and music styles including flamenco, ballet, burlesque and even hip hop. "Gothic Belly Dance" is a good example of a style which has evolved to reflect a specificGoth subculture.
In 1987 a uniquely American style, American Tribal Style Belly Dance, (ATS), was created. Although a wholly modern style, its steps are based on a fusion of ancient dance techniques from North India, the Middle East, and Africa.
History in Australia
The first wave of interest for belly dancing in Australia was during the late 70s to 80s with the influx of migrants and refugees escaping troubles in the Middle East. Notable musicians arriving in Australia during this period include drummer Jamal Zraika. The large numbers of immigrants created a lively social scene including numerous Lebanese and Turkish restaurants, generating interest in the dance and providing employment for belly dancers.
Early dance pioneers included Amera Eid who started the first belly dance boutique and Terezka Drnzik who established the first full time belly dance school in Sydney. Both of these teachers have pedigrees linked back to Rozeta Ahalyea.
Costume
In the West, the costume most associated with belly dance is the bedleh (Arabic for "suit"). It owes its creation to the Victorian painters of "Orientalism" and the harem fantasy productions of vaudeville, burlesque, and Hollywood during the turn of the last century, rather than to authentic Middle Eastern dress.
The bedleh style includes a fitted top or bra (usually with a fringe of beads or coins), a fitted hip belt (again with a fringe of beads or coins), and a skirt or harem pants. The bra and belt may be richly decorated with beads, sequins, braid and embroidery. The belt may be a separate piece, or sewn into a skirt.
The hip belt is a broad piece of fabric worn low on the hips. It may have straight edge, or may be curved or angled. The bra usually matches the belt and does not resemble lingerie. The classic h
YouTube - Arabic Belly Dance - Video Clips - Dancer Middle Eastern ...
As far as know dancing was, is, will, never been a Women Business, those who doesn't like it shouldn't see that...I love it and i think the people who say he is mad...should ...
Belly Dance Video Clips
Belly Dance Video Clips ***S croll down to see the "Adventures in Belly Dance" video podcasts***
YouTube - Shakira Arabic Dance
Shakira Arabic Dance ... i live in lebanon and i know but my comment on this video is that she doesnt do that much belly dancing, it is ...
Arabic Belly Dance Music - Mezdeke - Oryantal - Video
Arabic Belly Dance Music - Mezdeke - Oryantal. Watch Video about Arabic Belly,Dance music,Mezdeke by Metacafe.com
Arabic shemale dance 1 | SPIKE ...
Me dancing with a long skirt.. ... The Land Speaks Arabic. The Land Speaks Arabic is a Syrian-produced satire which ridicules pan-Arab Anti-Americanism.
Arabic Hot Girl Dance on Yahoo! Video
Hot sexy video @ www.celebase.com Sexy dancing, Arabic Sexy dance, arabic belly dance, arabic clip, arabic girl dance, arabic hot dance, arabic music, arabic music videos, arabic ...
Arabic shemale dance 2 | SPIKE ...
Me dancing with a tight white pants and thong.. ... The Land Speaks Arabic. The Land Speaks Arabic is a Syrian-produced satire which ridicules pan-Arab Anti-Americanism.
arabic dance Video by nazanin85 - MySpace Video
arabic dance. arabic dance by nazanin85. Watch it on MySpace Videos.
Arabic Dance - Video
arabic dance. Watch Video about Entertain by Metacafe.com
Arabic Hot Girl Dance Video by celebase - MySpace Video
Hot sexy video @ www.celebase.com Sexy dancing, Arabic Sexy dance, arabic belly dance, arabic clip, arabic girl dance, arabic hot dance, arabic music, arabic music videos ...